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Photos is the ultimate therapy for me, but telling the stories to go along with every session I have is also a fun way to document the amazing humans I get to work with, the gorgeous places we visit, and all the details that make the memories whole.
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Eloping in Alaska is a literal dream, but planning (long-distance or not) can be challenging logistically. Here’s everything you need to know about planning your Alaskan elopement broken down into 9 easy steps.
STEP 1: Dream Up Your Perfect Elopement Day
You’ve already knocked out the hardest part of planning an elopement (see Step 4): deciding where you want to elope! Congrats on deciding to elope in Alaska. I guarantee you won’t have any regrets if you’re looking for an elopement day (or days!) full of adventure, beautiful scenery, fun, memories, and documenting every step of the day.
Questions to Ask Each Other While Planning Your Dream Alaskan Elopement
Now is where the fun begins in planning your Alaskan elopement: dreaming about what your ultimate lavish elopement day would look like. Do you want to draw out the day and soak in every moment close to a scenic Air BnB or are you looking for a little more adventure? What kind of adventures do you want to plan into your Alaskan elopement? Do you plan to keep things small and intimate, or do you plan to invite close friends and family? When you envision yourself on your elopement day and you’re getting ready, what are you wearing? What are the smells and who is around you? When you’re standing with your partner exchanging vows, take in your scenery and note it. When you are celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary, are your favorite photos the ones surrounded by family after your elopement or are they the epic editorial-style landscape portraits?
Are you by the coast or surrounded by mossy trees or soaking in panoramic views from a mountain top? What season is it?
What Matters Most
Next, think about the parts of a wedding or elopement that are the most meaningful to you. What are the things that, if you DIDN’T have, you’d regret until your dying day? Is it the photos that matter most? Having epic images to display in your home as you build your life together? Is it about the vows and the finer details of the day? Are you including family or friends in a way besides physical presence? Are you wearing special jewelry or planning to gift a wedding day gift or note?
Just start jotting notes down as you and your partner discuss your dreams together. Trust me, the vision will start to develop from here.
STEP 2: Find Your Elopement Photographer
Arguably the most important step in planning your Alaskan elopement will be finding your elopement photographer. This is going to be YOUR PERSON that you trust to help bring your elopement vision to life. This will be the person you entrust to document the highest of highs and the best candid moments before and after saying “I Do.”
Your photographer should be a local who knows the seasons, the best private locations, and is a logistical master when planning your Alaskan elopement.
As an Alaskan elopement photographer, I would love to be that trusted person to you. As a local, I can ensure you have the absolute best locations, know how to prepare for your elopement, advise you on proper gear and equipment for your adventures, and so much more.
My goals as an Alaskan elopement photographer is making sure every one of my clients have an elopement day that is tailored to them and unique to their elopement vision while having the absolute most FUN DAY(S) EVER! Let’s make some memories, shall we!
STEP 3: Set a Date for Your Elopement
The date you choose for your elopement will be key in determining the types of adventures are available, accommodations, attire, footwear, florals, and even where you can actually elope! Check out this article about When to Elope in Alaska. This will provide you with the elements you’ll need to consider when planning your Alaskan elopement and selecting your elopement date.
Of course, if you and your partner have a special date in mind, then the season is irrelevant. We can still make your dream elopement day come to life. Ultimately, at the end of your elopement day, as long as you are married to your partner and love of your life then that is what truly matters.
STEP 4: Choose Your Elopement Location
Arguably one of the hardest parts of choosing to plan an Alaskan elopement is choosing where you want to say “I Do.” Flying into Anchorage works to your benefit because within an hour’s drive North or South, you can be in a mountain pass or walking into a fairy forest or at a glacier. Wild, right?!
Knik Glacier
Knik Glacier is located in Palmer, Alaska and is just over an hour’s drive north. From the lodge, you’ll load into a helicopter and fly to land on a glacier or in front of the glacier.
If you’re looking for a particular setting or view or blue pools, just let the pilot know prior to take off and they’ll come through for you. Helicopter tour companies that offer glacier tours are very familiar with elopements so they know what to look for.
Girdwood
South of Anchorage is the cute little ski resort town of Girdwood. Alyeska Resort offers ski slopes in the winter, stunning views and hiking in the summer, and an excellent nordic spa experience. Girdwood is wild but upscale in a tree-huggy-vibe type of way. The cabins are quaint, but those are million-dollar views. Surrounded by mountains topped with glaciers, Girdwood offers a variety of settings.
There are SO MANY other beautiful location choices but as a local, I like to keep these gems I’ve scouted for the couples who choose to work with me (*hint* *hint*).
STEP 5: Plan Your Ceremony, Details, and Adventures
The dreaded timeline — insert the doom sounds *dun dun dunnnn*! It seems scarier than it is and, even if it’s not accurate to the minute, it will still be wildly helpful in planning next steps, managing small tasks, and preventing the feeling of overwhelm.
Start Big, Break It Down Smaller
The best way to avoid the overwhelm while planning your Alaskan elopement is to start with the big things for the day, then break those down into smaller chunks starting with a few simple questions:
- What time do you and your partner want to say “I Do?”
- If you want a particular type of lighting, like golden hour, then you will be on Mother Nature’s schedule. In Alaska, golden hour in the summer basically is non-existant unless you want to get married at 2am. In the depth of winter (January, February) golden hour is all day long because there are so few hours of daylight.
- By planning the time for your ceremony, you can work backwards on your timeline, starting with…(question 2)
- When do you and your partner want to start your day? Do you and your partner plan to do anything together prior to putting on wedding attire and getting ready?
- Maybe you just spend some quiet time together while you sip morning coffee. Or maybe you whip up some breakfast together. Maybe you take a morning walk and just enjoy soaking in one another. Sounds like a pretty great way to kick off an Alaskan elopement.
- Do you need to build in driving time, hiking time, boating time, or additional commuting time at any point(s) throughout the day?
- I encourage couples to intentionally build in time for them to just stop and truly soak in the moment while in the actual moment. I don’t even have to take photos if you’d prefer the privacy.
- When and where you both want to get ready?
- At your housing? Or are we hiking to a glacier before you throw on a suit or dress with those ice cleats?
- When does the sun set? After the sun sets, do you plan to do any elopement photos?
- When the sun sets, the fun can carry on! Astrophotography with you and your new partner could be fun. Or maybe a warm campfire to wrap up and snuggle down before calling it a day.
- If you would prefer to not do any photos once the sun sets, then this would typically be where we would part ways for the evening.
Starting with the big events and continuing to break down the overall task into smaller chunks is helpful. HOWEVER, by choosing me as your photographer, I am more than happy to help build your personalized timeline, anticipated commute times, and anything else you want to make sure happens while planning your elopement with me. I’m just here to make sure things go smooth and stay on track.
STEP 6: Book Your Travel, Accommodations, and Transportation for Your Alaskan Elopement
I recommend planning your Alaskan elopement a year in advance. Since 2020, tourism has increased. Availability changes drastically with the seasons, as do prices for vendors, accommodation and adventure guides. Check out my blog on When to Elope in Alaska. There’s some great info on what to expect in each season and what your options are while you’re planning your Alaskan elopement.
Once you know when you’re eloping in Alaska, booking your travel and accommodations should quickly follow.
There are lots of popular tours and places to stay that sell out a year in advance, especially during summer months. After knocking out your timeline, you’ll know exactly what you need to start booking and which vendors you plan to include in your Alaskan elopement.
STEP 7: Book Your Elopement Vendor Dream Team
This is where creatives unite and create your dream elopement. You’ve been planning your Alaskan elopement and you are now ready to lock in meal options, adventure or guided tours, housing, hair and makeup, florals, cake (or other sweet treat).
The beauty of an elopement is you can include as much or as little “tradition” into the day-of details. Elopement vendors in Alaska are well networked because our community is small, but mighty. We all support each other and work well together to deliver the best for our couples. If it matters to you, it matters to us.
STEP 8: Purchase Your Elopement Attire & Gear
This is one of the most fun parts of planning your Alaskan elopement. You’re already breaking away from tradition by choosing to focus on a day that is exactly and uniquely yours. Take it a step farther and dream up some something different for your attire.
Not your ordinary suit jacket and pocket square…add a classy lace panel on the back of your jacket, or embroider your elopement date into the inner pocket of your jacket. Your elopement day deserves a little extra flair. Dream big, friends! A groom could also choose to rock the lapel floral trend. This fun trend has some added floral flair for a little eXXXtra elevated touch. Functional footwear is the best footwear in my opinion. While polished leather loafers look slick, they’re also slick on wet rock and ice, literally. Throw in a little contrast to your attire – rubber boots with your custom tailored suit? Absolutely yes. Hiking boots? Also absolutely yes. We can always change into the fancy shoes at location and carry them between sites.
Planning Your Alaskan Elopement Bridal Look
For the ladies let’s think functional but epic. Only the most epic dress will do for your epic Alaskan elopement. Pro tip: look for a dress with pockets or see about having some sewn in. These are especially handy for holding rings until they’re exchanged, holding vow books, and hiding tissues or hand warmers during colder months.
STEP 9: Elopement Day is Finally Here!
You have been dreaming and planning your Alaskan elopement for at least the last several months. You know every detail and are fully prepared with what to expect, who your points of contact are, you’re aware of logistics, and your photographer has made all of this an absolutely seamless planning process for you.
Don’t Stress – Just Focus On You and I’ve Got The Rest
That is my goal as your photographer: to remove the stress and fill your elopement day to the brim with laughter, memories, photos, love and adventure. Reach out and let’s chat about your. Let’s start planning your Alaskan elopement!
Fabi and Brooke reached out to schedule an Alaskan engagement session while they were traveling to visit family. When asked, Brooke and Fabi knew exactly where they wanted to have their engagement session. A year prior Fabi had proposed among the gorgeous mountain peaks of Hatcher Pass, Alaska.
Weather had been stunning for a fall day in Alaska. As I drove closer to the base of Hatcher Pass, the clouds continued to darken then unleashed. Torrential downpour pelted my car the entire drive to our meeting point. I always come prepared because weather in Alaska changes constantly.
We met at the iconic red A-frame cabins in Hatcher Pass before we continued our journey further up the pass. The ground was wet, but vibrant and full of fresh, wild blueberries. Brook and Fabi laughed, snuggled, played, and soaked (literally) in every moment as I gave prompts. These two easily went from a lot of spicy to a lot of laughter throughout the entire session. It’s not every day you get to have an engagement session in Alaska, especially when you’re from Texas.
As we ventured higher into the pass, the clouds finally opened and the sky lit up with drama. Brooke and Fabi meandered while I documented their love in their special place.
The sky illuminated the scraggly mountain and illuminated the golden grass of the surrounding summit.
This spot— THIS SPOT — I have been trying to locate for AGES and we happened to literally stumble upon it. What ensued was Brook and Fabi standing on the edge of this ledge (safely), while I hopped, skipped and ran around to the opposite side of this location to capture some of the most epic and scenic images I have ever taken.
The sun wrapped its warm arms around them as they soaked in the moment, the location, and their love for each other.
Brooke and Fabi met while working together and, over the years, would occasionally bump into one another. The timing finally lined up and these two fell head over heels for each other.
We wrapped up the session popping bubbly on top of Hatcher Pass and toasting to their future and their love.
Having someone ask you to spend your life with them is, for lack of a better term, exciting! Each engagement session in Alaska that I document is wholly unique. From the couple, to the the location, and how the time together unfolds. There are plenty of reasons why Alaska is the perfect location for your engagement session or destination wedding.
